Goa needs ‘People power’ to brighten up their lives

A couple of days ago there was a promise by a party of free electricity up to 300 units, 24 hours power supply and free power to farmers. The people of the State are preparing to take one of the most decisive decisions of their lives in less than eight months from now when they vote for their future. At this juncture let us look at issues of real relevance to Goans which go beyond just impacting their lives but giving back to Goa itself its values, traditions, culture identity and uniqueness.

The “power” that Goans really want. The power to decide their future

The power to decide: Goans want to be a party to the choices that are made on key decisions which will impact their lives and that of their land. From permission for mega and other projects in their villages to the final choice of who should represent them, it is the people who must decide. That is the power that must be given a power not yet promised to them by any party.

Once this power is in the hands of Goans, they will be able to address and solve issues that matter to all Goans.

– Health infrastructure in every village

– Self-reliance through opportunities to generate income and people-friendly trade practices which allow small businesses to thrive. The pandemic taught us many lessons. The prime lesson was that when it comes to standing with the people, during their time of need, there was nobody. Common Goans fought lonely battles for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, vaccines and medicines. Goans want a system to work. Let us ask if they would prefer a system that delivers them economic power and health infrastructure rather than doles. 

– Education and skill development which will prevent people from going abroad in bulk for jobs and opportunities. No one has understood why Goans migrate. Because we have failed to give them a Goa where they can thrive, a Goa of opportunities. So apart from depending on a government job, which is about political freebies anywhere, can you call Goa a land of opportunities? And this is an issue that Goans would have expected to be raised by those who want to win the people’s trust.

INSTEAD OF MONEY IN YOUR POCKET, A GOAN SEES MONEY AND POWER IN A POLITICIAN’S POCKET 

What do he and she want?

– Freedom from the politics of defections and backstabbing. People are fed up with being betrayed and their vote sold for a song when the buyer of the vote makes millions by betraying the trust. For a few pennies they get, unscrupulous parties use the power you the common Goan gives them, to get unimaginable personal benefits. 

– Freedom from the politics of family raj. Goans want people they have chosen to lead. Ask the common Goan who is not on social media, or openly attached to a party. They work in small officers, have small businesses, run shops, are artists, poets, writers with different skill sets and a common love for Goa. They are sick of family raj.

– Freedom from greed-based politics. A Goa where honest people in the grassroots can earn from government tenders and do honest 

projects instead of VIP contractors who like sharks eat everything and throw some pennies for sub-contractors.

And now we come to the two non-negotiable issues: Choking Goans with coal and not giving Goans access to mineral resources

Goans across caste creed, religions community social structure and age groups have got together as one to raise their voices against the absolutely cruel double-tracking project where their land has been taken over with farcical exercise in allowing them to raise objections, which were all dismissed in the stroke of a pen. More land has been sought to be acquired literally through the backdoor without informing people.

Can we ever forget how Goans marched through the length and breadth of Goa with their children and elderly parents? 

And this is not limited to protests against railway double tracking which will destroy homes and take over pristine land. Didn’t any political party notice that there were students and children who worked hard to prepare PPTs and gave presentations to the government on how the current coastal plan draft has been hurriedly earmarked without “truthful” ground studies? This is enormous. This is the voice of the youth. How can you not hear it? 

For the first time in many elections, the cause is bigger than individual needs. These are not South Goa causes, they are not North Goa causes, they are not Catholic causes, they are not Hindu causes. They are Goan causes

And now let us ask this. Goans want a clear share in the mineral and other resources of Goa. And that can only happen through the ‘Goenchi Mati’ formula, where Goans are trustees of the mineral wealth including iron ore of the State. And mining should be controlled by a Goa mining corporation. The government in spite of saying all decks are cleared have still not had a cabinet meeting to move that Bill in the next session of the Assembly.

Goans want a party which openly supports the demand for mineral resources to be people’s resources and have mining through a mining development corporation. 

We are still waiting for a single political voice to express this because this is the people’s voice, not the voice of mining dons

And why is the Goa cause bigger than the individual cause?

The reason in simple. Goans have been forced to leave their land, their families, their cuisine and their culture to travel far west and lead lonely hard lives till they make it with the dint of their hard work. They were forced to do it because they did not get opportunities in Goa. They did not get the livelihoods that their skills deserved. That is why we must support the bigger cause and genuine political parties have to become stakeholders of this cause.

The small time Goan is for the first time wanting to see beyond his house needs and look at the bigger cause because he wants his children not to migrate abroad, his land projected and not grabbed, and his future bright. Somehow, he hasn’t been taken into confidence by any political element to assure him or her that the bigger cause will be fought for.

Anyone wanting to win the hearts of Goa must embrace the bigger causes Goans want, causes that lie outside their home.